Correction: City will enforce restrictions on pets, bikes, rollerblades

On page 3 of the May 15 Belleville-Area Independent, we wrote that the city council turned down enforcement of restrictions against pets, bikes, and rollerblades during the upcoming National Strawberry Festival.
City Manager Diana Kollmeyer said although that was discussed during the May 5 city council meeting, the council decided to enforce those regulations.
But, the city is not going to stop people from passing out handbills, she said.
Strawberry Festival officer Sharon Pokerwinski told the Independent that the festival will allow religious tracts to be passed out, but not business flyers. She said the vendors pay to have spaces at the festival and it wouldn’t be fair to let others advertise their businesses free of charge next to those who paid to be there.
Although the beer tent at St. Anthony’s is authorized by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission from 3 p.m. to midnight on Friday, noon to midnight on Saturday, and noon until 8 p.m. on Sunday, the beer tent will not open until 5 p.m. on Friday.
At the May 5 council meeting it was said that School Supt. Michael Van Tassel signed off with the LCC on opening the beer tent at 3 p.m. on Friday, since school will still be in session. Pokerwinski said although they could open sooner, the beer tent will not open until 5 p.m. on Friday.
The carnival opens at noon on Friday because of the contracts. School is in session until June 19 because of all the snow days taken during the harsh winter.
In our story we quoted Belleville Mayor Kerreen Conley: “And, music shall end by 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.”
Pokerwinski said the music at the beer tent will play until 11 p.m., both nights.
— Rosemary K. Otzman, editor